Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook (0) shoots a foul shot in front of San Antonio Spurs guard Marco Belinelli (3) in the second quarter of Game 4 of the Western Conference finals NBA basketball playoff series in Oklahoma City on Tuesday night.
(AP/Sue Ogrocki)

The two teams I still believe will meet in the NBA Finals lost their most recent games. I don't think they're going to lose anymore in the semis.

One of those predictions will bring yawns. The other will bring laughs.

Nobody thinks the Miami Heat is in any trouble simply because they lost Game 5 of their Eastern Conference Finals series to the Indiana Pacers.

The Heat have LeBron James at the height of his powers. They have Dwyane Wade playing as if he's 26 again. Even Chris Bosh is chipping in. And just because the Pacers got a gift foul call or two on LeBron and he played only 22 minutes with foul trouble and Indiana managed to win by 3 at home does not mean the Pacers have a prayer back in Miami tomorrow night.

They don't. That's because Indiana's leadership is a trio of knuckleheads. When Paul George, Lance Stephenson and Roy Hibbert are your most important players, you are tethered to insanity. Pimpy, Crazy and Mopey are not of championship fiber. Bitching about the refs, blowing in LeBron's ear and obsessing about your failures are not the way to the summit. It's only a matter of time for these guys. Miami is a lock for its fourth straight Finals.

But Oklahoma City, I'm still not sold on. And at this point, everybody else is. Nobody thinks the San Antonio Spurs have a prayer anymore because they were blown out in both Game 3 and Game 4 by the Thunder in OKC. Serge Ibaka is back, swatting or altering everything around the rim. When he's present, the Thunder is 6-0 against the Spurs this season. That's undefeated against the team with the best regular-season record (20 losses all season) in the NBA.

I still think San Antonio figures out a way because of two people – Gregg Popovich and Russell Westbrook. I think Popovich will push some buttons tonight. And one of them will be Westbrook's crazy switch.

Other than James, Westbrook is the most purely gifted talent in basketball. His combination of lift, explosiveness, flexibility, strength and quickness are unmatched.

Unfortunately, his mind gets in the way. I don't know how or when. But at some point in this series, I have to believe Westbrook is going to blow a gasket. He'll start ball-stopping and taking bad shots. He'll commit stupid fouls. He'll draw a tech at the wrong time.

He always has done this. And when guys are as old as he is (25) and continue to do it, very rarely do they change. Until I see something click in his demeanor, I'll expect it.

At the same time, one man must grow up for San Antonio. It's time for Kawhi Leonard to become the star he's threatened to be for his first three years in the league. I think Popovich will challenge him. The Spurs need him. If he scores, boards and defends as his potential dictates, he is the difference in this series.